Associate Director, Internal Communications

Company: Braven
Location: Chicago
Posted on: February 17, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Job Title : Associate Director, Internal Communications Team : Communications and Marketing Location :In-Person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NYC) Employment Type : Full-time FLSA Classification : Exempt Start Date : ASAP About Braven Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream. About the Role In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Internal Communications who will develop, lead, and implement our internal communications strategies that are a critical input to fostering strong organization-wide clarity and culture as Braven scales. This role is on the Communications and Marketing team and reports directly to the Senior Director of Communications and Marketing. What You’ll Do Strategy & Operations (65%) Create and implement annual internal communications plan and strategies, including support for general org-wide initiatives, alongside the People & Operations team and Braven’s Alignment team. This is inclusive of but not limited to the following responsibilities: Create, distribute, and maintain an org-wide calendar Creating the strategy and supporting content creation for national campaigns, like Black History Month, spotlights honoring the work & lived experiences of our extraordinary staff, open enrollment announcements, etc. Assess and set guidance for communications norms and platforms (e.g. Slack, email, Google Hub) for communicating internally that is aligned to Braven culture as the org continues to scale Lead trainings on relevant tools, processes, and etiquette (e.g. office hours) Use quantitative and qualitative insights to assess efficacy of strategies and adjust tactics as needed Experiment with new, creative ways to reach staff with news and information, and drive their engagement in prioritized company initiatives and information. Content Creation (35%) Develop and drive communications around updates, campaigns, and change management that engage, inspire and align employees); Write, manage and implement strategic employee communications around various topics, including company strategy, campaigns, priorities and announcements, to ensure high-quality, effective and consistent delivery of key messages and information with a consistent tone (e.g. newsletter, Slack updates, memos, All-team call) Manage applicable programming for remote and in-person company-wide meetings (including biweekly All Team Calls), which includes scheduling, creating agendas and decks, developing messaging, preparing facilitators and overseeing meeting logistics Project manage internal newsletter content and governance, which includes proactively working with content owners, collecting and distributing updates, moderating posts, and managing processes Develop and manage email signatures for staff to mark certain events Keep a pulse on the latest best practices in communications and implement learnings into their work Other duties as assigned Requirements Minimum Requirements Bachelor's degree 5-7 years of relevant experience, with a preference for communications experience in the education, government, or nonprofit sector Preferred Qualifications Expert-level written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adjust style and content across audiences (executives, Braven staff, external partners) Experience drafting and turning complex information into relevant, engaging, timely and valuable content. You are excellent at project management and influencing others to achieve outcomes and have a proven ability to create and execute project plans with strong attention to detail and multiple stakeholders, meeting deadlines. Demonstrated presentation building skills-specifically with Google Slides or Powerpoint. Ability to motivate teams through compelling messaging and robust campaigns. Ability to align systems, programs and people with company strategy and culture. You exercise discretion and independent judgment in conversations with high-stakes audiences You are highly motivated, self-directed, results-oriented, data-driven, and curious You are self-aware and able to work across many lines of difference Exemplification of Braven’s core values. Experience that has informed your belief in Braven’s mission and have prepared you to work with, or for, Braven’s student Fellow population. Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply. Work Demands Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NYC) at least 3 days per week Ability to travel to annual all-team retreat, quarterly retreats with the External Affairs team, and potentially other regional events several times a year Ability to support the team during high-volume seasons Additional Requirements Authorized to work in the U.S. Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship Application & Interview Process While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be: Phone screen with Talent Team member Performance Task Interview with Hiring Manager Panel Interview with Key Partners Reference Checks Benefits Compensation and Benefits Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth $79,200-$99,000 in Atlanta, $83,600-$104,400 in Chicago, $92,000-$114,900 in New York or Newark NJ. This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity. Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year) Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents 12 weeks of paid parental leave A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff Location We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, or New York City. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week. Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor. We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.

Keywords: Braven, Buffalo Grove , Associate Director, Internal Communications, PR / Public Relations , Chicago, Illinois